


The Unknown Flower of Felicity

by 796116311389



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ficlet, Insecure Sherlock, Lost Child, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 04:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14348112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/796116311389/pseuds/796116311389
Summary: There's nothing more terrifying than misplacing your child. Except, of course, misplacing the child of the man your hopelessly in  love with.





	The Unknown Flower of Felicity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mariaWASD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariaWASD/gifts).



> Another 221b-consolation fic! 
> 
> This time it's for marioWASD who requested the following:
> 
> "I'd fancy myself some angsty, but then very fluffy parentlock. Maybe Rosie getting lost at the grocery store, or somewhere else and then they panic, but in the end, she's fine."
> 
> Uh, I'm not sure I hit the fluffy notes you wanted, but at least I got the angst?

There's nothing more terrifying than misplacing your child. Except, of course, misplacing the child of the man your hopelessly in love with.

It was supposed to be a quick run to Tesco.

It was supposed to take five minutes.

In and out.

Easy.

He only took his eyes off her one second. That's it.

Sherlock is in a panic. He has lost Rosie in the grocery store and he is sick with worry. His heart feels painfully squeezed and his mind is both whirring too fast and at a complete standstill. He needs to find her.

Oh God, what if someone has snatched her. She's a beautiful young thing, a perfectly cherubic child and so trusting of strangers. She doesn't know you're supposed to be afraid of the world.

Not yet. She's only three.

Sherlock is going to be sick. His stomach is in knots as he races along the ends of the aisles looking up each one.

No. No. No. No.

Suddenly he hears the intercom crackle to life.

"We have a lost child up front. Could the parent of said child, please come collect them?"

Sherlock bolts to the front of the store.

There sitting on a chair behind a register was Rosie. She's swinging her legs and looking bored. As soon as she sees Sherlock running up she waved and starts yelling, "Hi Lock!"

Sherlock is so relieved he could collapse onto the floor. He never, ever wants to live through that kind of terror ever again. He comes to a stop and kneels in front of Rosie.

"Rosie!" He says more sternly than he intends, "Where did you go?"

Rosie hears the chastisment in Sherlock's voice and chooses to pout at him rather than answer.

The clerk is able to fill in for her, however.

"We found her by the home goods. She was playing with the stuffed animals. You should keep a closer eye on your daughter, sir."

Sherlock opens his mouth to correct the shop clerk, but decides against it.

He reaches his arms out and picks Rosie up. He doesn't even remember what he needed from Tesco, he just takes Rosie and heads straight back to 221B.

When John gets home later Sherlock is looking at Rosie intently while she sleeps in John's chair.

John instinctively knows something is wrong. He takes his coat off, slips off his shoes, and steps over beside Sherlock's chair. He looks at Rosie who seems okay and then back at Sherlock's profile. He reaches a hand out and rubs Sherlock's upper back. Sherlock is beyond tense.

"Is everything okay? Did something happen today?"

Sherlock swallows and looks toward the fire place, away from John.

"I lost her today John. I took her to Tesco and she just disappeared. It only took a second and she was gone."

John can barely hear Sherlock he's speaking so quietly, he can hear the guilt in Sherlock's voice. He moves in front of Sherlock and kneels down, his hand moving from Sherlock's back to his neck but never leaving contact. "Hey, look at me."

Sherlock looks toward John and John can see that Sherlock's eyes are red; that Sherlock has been crying.

"Hey, it's okay. You found her. She's fine."

"But what if I hadn't?" Sherlock croaks out. "What if she had been stolen? What if I had lost your daughter John?"

John grips Sherlock's neck more firmly and leans in, "Then you still would have found her. No matter what it took you would have found our daughter."

Sherlock searches John's eyes, his mind keenly latching on to John's statement that Rosie was their daughter.

"John?"

"Yes, our daughter. She's as much your child as she is mine. As far as I'm concerned she has two dads."

"But-but. I'm a horrible parent. I lost her. I didn't pay 100% attention to her and I lost her." Sherlock looks stricken and John brings them even closer together pressing his forehead into Sherlock's and looking the man straight in the eyes.

He quietly whispers, "You listen to me now, Sherlock Holmes, you are not a bad parent. You are an excellent parent and I don't acknowledge that enough. You care for Rosie. You take care of her. Even if you're involved with something else, I have seen you drop everything for her. If anyone is lacking in the parent department, it's me. You are brilliant and amazing and I should have told you all this sooner."

Sherlock huffs a laugh, "You tell me all the time I'm brilliant and amazing."

"You're right, I do, and that's because you are. At everything you do. With everything you are. You are the most wonderful person I have been blessed to meet in this life and I'm sorry Sherlock for all the things that have made you doubt you are anything less."

"God, John, you're going to make me cry again."

John smiles fondly at Sherlock and gathers him into a tight hug.

After a quiet moment, "Does this mean you're not mad? You're not going to take Rosie and leave?"

John leans back and gives Sherlock a bemused look before he sees the anxiety on Sherlock's face. 

"Sherlock. Rosie and I are never leaving you. I couldn't do that to her and Lord knows I would never survive without you." John leans in close again and cradles Sherlock's cheek in his hand. 

"God, Sherlock, I love you."

Sherlocks words are breathless, "You love me?"

"God, yes, with all my heart."

"Good. That's good. John?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too."


End file.
